Method for handling food portions with a rotation device

Abstract

The disclosure relates to an apparatus for handling food portions which comprises a first conveying device, a rotation device with a second conveying device forming a depositing surface which can be turned about a vertical axis, a third conveying device, and a control unit. The first conveying device is configured such that it can at least in regions be arranged above the rotation device. The control unit is adapted to control the first conveying device such that food portions are deposited in a format arrangement by the first conveying device from above onto the depositing surface of the rotation device, to control the rotation device to rotate the depositing surface with the food portions about the vertical axis, and to control the second conveying device to convey the turned food portions onward onto the third conveying device.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for producing packaged food portions by way of a production line, the method comprising:
 slicing a food product to produce food portions; 
 conveying the food portions along a conveying direction of the production line; 
 arranging the food portions in a format arrangement; 
 rotating the food portions arranged in the format arrangement using a rotation device that is integrated into the production line; and 
 packaging the food portions; 
 wherein slicing a food product to produce food portions comprises slicing a plurality of food products to produce food portions arranged in a plurality of lanes, and wherein at least two respective food portions from different lanes of the plurality of lanes are arranged in a single lane due to their rotation and then packaged together. 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein arranging the food portions in the format arrangement comprises aligning the food portions relative to each other in a predetermined relative arrangement, this relative arrangement being maintained during rotation. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising depositing the food portions arranged in the format arrangement onto a conveying device of the rotation device, wherein the conveying device has a conveying direction that is at an angle relative to the conveying direction of the production line while the food portions arranged in the format arrangement are deposited onto the conveying device, wherein the conveying device of the rotation device is then oriented such that the conveying direction of the conveying device points in the conveying direction of the production line, and wherein the food portions are then conveyed away from the rotation device. 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the food portions arranged in the format arrangement are conveyed onto the rotation device by way of a retraction belt, wherein a movable retraction roller of the retraction belt is moved at a relative speed in a conveying direction of the retraction belt to above the rotation device, and wherein the retraction belt is operated at a conveying speed which is adapted to the relative speed. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the rotation device is adjusted in height before, during, and/or after the rotation to enable rotating and/or conveying the food portions arranged in the format arrangement. 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the rotation device is movable in the conveying direction of the production line before, during, and/or after the rotation to enable rotating and/or conveying the food portions arranged in the format arrangement. 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the rotation device is moved only within the production line. 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein at least two respective food portions are grouped after slicing, and the grouped food portions are arranged in the format arrangement. 
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the food portions arranged in the format arrangement are rotated by the rotation device by 90°. 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of food products include at least two different kinds of food products. 
     
     
       11. A method for producing packaged food portions by way of a production line, the method comprising:
 slicing a food product to produce food portions; 
 conveying the food portions along a conveying direction of the production line; 
 arranging the food portions in a format arrangement; 
 depositing the food portions arranged in the format arrangement onto a conveying device of a rotation device that is integrated into the production line, wherein the conveying device has a conveying direction that is at an angle relative to the conveying direction of the production line while the food portions arranged in the format arrangement are deposited onto the conveying device; 
 rotating the food portions arranged in the format arrangement using the rotation device such that the conveying direction of the conveying device points in the conveying direction of the production line; 
 conveying the food portions away from the rotation device; and 
 packaging the food portions.